Behind My Byline

Cryptic Studios has released a trailer for their upcoming Star Trek online MMORPG and it looks awesome! See for yourselves:

You better believe I will be playing this game once it is released since according to info from mmorpg.com, you will be able to play a number of races including human, Vulcan, Andorian, Klingon, Orion, Gorn, and several others. You will also be able to create your own race with its own custom look and attributes. How freaking cool would it be to play a Gorn hunting down federation red shirts?

According to the info released by the game’s creators, the game is set approximately 30 years after the events in Star Trek Nemesis. The game starts in 2409. Technology has advanced and the galaxy is a much more volatile place. Some of the ST games I’ve played recently haven’t been very good, including Star Trek Conquest, so I have really high hopes for this one.

In other MMO news, I promised I would report back on whether LOTRO is worth your MMORPG subscription dollars. I would have to say yes, but don’t expect it to be 100 percent like Wow. Yet, this is a fun game and even though I have only 2 days left of my 14 day trial, I am almost done with the introduction and have reached level 7 which is a drop in the bucket compared to some of these long time players. Then again, Unlike others, I don’t have 12 or 16 hours to kill in front of a computer playing a game, I’m good for about 1 or 2 each night if lucky.

I could be wrong about this, but you have to have even finished the intro in order to activate the social panel and join a fellowship. The final quest in the intro has you following Dwalin and defending him inside Skorgrim’s tomb. I took a cool screenshot of my character fending off a couple of goblins but then I got greedy and tried to capture Dwalin after he destroys a gate entrance. It’s kind of too dark to see, but you can make him out saying, “Stand back now!”

The problem with defending Dwalin is despite his use of magic energies, he’s a 5^th level character and he’s old, so I was like twice as powerful as he was, he held his own for awhile but when you’re taking on 4 evil doers, he tends to get himself killed and you have to do the final quest more than once to complete it. I’m pretty sure I will be finishing it before the trial period ends though. So the final verdict?

Yes I would have to say that LOTRO is almost as fun or even more fun than DDO Stormreach (where you seem to fight a lot of Kobolds in the early levels) and though not as engaging as Wow, I only played one race, so maybe it would be fun to play other races.

Her mission in life is to fight monsters and slashers. She’s attractive, tough as nails, and doesn’t take crap from anyone, especially from the preternatural community.

No, I’m not talking about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though some would say that Tim Seeley’s loudmouth, goth chick turned monster hunter, is cut from the same cloth as our favorite former denizen of Sunnydale. As a matter of fact, Devil’s Due Publishing markets her comic with such hyperbolic copy as: “Hack/Slash is what Buffy might have been if it had been created by Wes Craven and Rob Zombie instead of Joss Whedon.”

As the lone survivor of an attack by a slasher called the lunch lady (a slasher who turned out to be her mother) Cassandra “Cassie” Hack now travels the world hunting down slashers and destroying monsters wherever she happens to find them. 

I think that is where the similarities end, and while there are certain elements that are very reminiscent of our beloved vampire slayer, I think Seeley and artist Emily Stone’s creation have carved out enough unique elements to distinguish her from other major heroines.

One major difference is while Buffy tends to dress more conservatively, Cassie’s depiction as a goth emphasizes her roots in that lifestyle. This should not be mistaken by feminists and others as another example of a male dominated industry’s exploitation of women with titilating images, as I believe that Cassie is too strong a character to even allow herself to be exploited and Seely’s narratives make it clear that her sexuality empowers her rather than enslaves her. I attribute attempts to link her with the Suicide girls or any alternative porn movements as more of a marketing scheme than anything else.

Another major difference is that while Buffy’s vampires and monsters were often used as metaphor for the real angst and horrors of growing up as a teen in American society and to explore the complex themes by subverting the genre’s conventions, Hack Slash is a world inhabitted by the slashers of cult movies made famous by Friday the 13th and others. In fact, the creators are smart enough to be incorporating cult elements into the comic, Cassie having previously met up with the likes of Chucky and in an upcoming arc she will deal with Dr. Herber West from the Re-Animator cult films.

 If you never heard of Cassandra Hack until today, the movie watching public soon will as rumors that 22 year old American actress Megan Fox is said to be “really interested” in the part of Cassie in an upcoming release from Rogue Pictures. At any rate, you can read my review of the latest issue from this excellent ongoing series here.

Happy thursday. I was going to lead off with reviews of some of the comics which came out this week, but I have not had a chance to read them all, so instead I give you a sample of Rod and Barry. They are my favorite web comic strip out there (though I am sure there are may out there).

Rod and Barry are hilarious. They were sent to conquer Earth but (lucky for us) they got sidetracked by watching TV and sampling earth’s sci fi. Their adventures are updated every thursday here. Comic book reviews coming later today or tomorrow.

Well, in my ongoing quest to find a fun MMORPG to play (that’s massively multiplayer Online Role playing game for you newbs out there) I decided to give Turbine’s LOTRO a try. Turbine has a 14-day trial you can download and try out. But be forewarned, it is a LONG download and install.

I had heard many good things about the game although some people claim it is nothing more than a WOW clone. Maybe it was the fact that I stopped by the Game Empire store in pasadena in search of a good business feature for the newspaper, but I felt like playing a good game. I found out they have a D&D 4th edition group that meets once a month. I have never played D&D 4th edition, but if that’s not your cup of tea, then there’s Warhammer and plenty of other games to keep you busy.

I think Turbine has done a good job with LOTRO, even though I haven’t been a fan of the franchise and never read the Hobbit, they purchased the rights to the property and have crafted a good looking game to take advantage of the popularity of the films. Even though I haven’t had the chance to play it much, (thus far I have a level 2 troll running around Middle Earth) the character creation stage was fun, incorporating much from DDO and even providing a mini movie describing each race’s attributes or backstory.

Thus far, LOTRO has been as much fun or more than DDO so I will have to report back when I’m a bit deeper into my trial to evaluate if it is worth a subscription rate. Stay tuned.

I agree with this guy. The girl has no idea what she’s talking about, it’s funny to see this video was shot last year but how much more true it is today. Sad really.

Happy Friday! So Wendy went out of town this weekend for a convention with her church group. As for me, it’s funny what a difference a year makes. This time last year I was a boarder at some lady’s house in San Diego while attending the Comic con.  While I enjoyed the trip, meeting some new people and going to some of the more interesting panels, I decided a while back I wasn’t going to attend this year’s con because Hollywood has ruined it for me.

OK I was actually going to write a column about this topic for the comicsbulletin website, but I realized it might just be a lot of rambling and might come accross as sour grapes. However, when I turn on the TV and see KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin interviewing studio heads about the con and talking about Twilight and how it’s a perfect place to creat buzz for such projects, I know I made the right decision. Not even a press pass guarantees admittance into some of SDCC’s panels and I just don’t have the energy or willingness to spend time in long lines when I can go to a local con and walk right into a panel with the likes of Marc Silvestri and Jim Lee or practically sit next to Marv Wolfman and hear him expand on the mysteries of character creation. Also, podcasts and bloggers have the con covered like a blanket, so I get to keep up with major announcements from the comforst of my very own PC.

I mean really, what do Lost, Dexter and Twilight have to do with comic books? Absolutely zilch unless you consider the fact a lot of comic book writers also write scripts for Lost and there’s a lot of crossover in the mediums. Yet, again and again I have heard fans complain that some comics don’t translate into film very well and into other mediums and I have to agree. Some people are even balking at the upcoming Watchmen movie because Alan Moore’s work doesn’t necessarily lend itself to an adaptation. I can see their point of view. I can also see the studio’s logic in seeing the comic con as a huge marketing ploy.

When all is said and done, I go to comic book conventions expecting to interact with fans and creators of comic books and comic book characters. I enjoy watching Dan Didio, President of DC Comics ramble on like a loony about which members of the Legion of Superheroes should be killed off or resurrected. There is a lot of that in San Diego of course, but Hollywood crashing the party and exploiting what many consider a hub of “geek culture” hasn’t been all good and I am sure there are a number of fans who feel the same way as I do.

So The Dark Knight made over $155 million at the box office over the weekend. I was glad to read I wasn’t the only one who had a problem or questions about the setting.

So Wendy and I went to see The Dark Knight this weekend. The verdict is: This movie isn’t bad and a lot better than the last one. Even though I was surprised by a much better film than what the trailers hinted at, I still think that Gotham City doesn’t look gothic enough for my taste and Christian Bale makes a better James Bond than Batman, right down to the scene where his African American Q, (played by Morgan Freeman in a reprisal of the Luscious Fox role) instructs him on his latest gadgets and he predictably isn’t paying attention.

The Batman’s hideout still lacks the familiar elements of the Batcave with the many mementos Batman collects from his various cases and adventures, opting for a more sterile environment full of high tech gadgetry and no giant pennies or dinosaurs in sight.

Heath Ledger steals the film with his unique and mesmerizing take on the Joker, vastly different from Jack Nicholson’s manic performance almost 20 years ago, as does a smart and quick moving screenplay which cribs some of the best elements of the Batman the Long Halloween graphic novel by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, right down to the genesis of Harvey Dent’s “Two Face” persona and the corrupt nature of Gotham’s warring mob families.

The Long Halloween was heavily influenced by film noir and films such as The Godfather. It examines an entire year of Batman’s career as a crime fighter during his early years in Gotham and introduces Lieutenant Jim Gordon before his promotion to Police Commissioner (just like in the movie) and explains the events which led to the transformation of Harvey Dent into the psychotic Two-Face.  It also boasts of a delicious mystery which unfolds over the course of the year (from one Halloween to the next.)
 
This would almost be another classic case of the book being better than the movie, except for what the movie lacks in familiarity and continuity it makes up in special effect wizardry and a stylish visual feel to it. The film does get a little preachy at the end, discussing as it does the moral codes which drive the heroes and the absolute abandon to chaos which fuels the Joker’s psychosis, but it comes after a climax which involves an original third act full of action and intrigue.

But the best part of The Dark Knight movie experience? It came even before the movie started as the trailer for next year’s Watchmen revealed a beautiful and extravagantly complex rendition of the 1986 masterpiece. Unless Hollywood makes a drastic departure from the source material or even wholesale revisions as it did in V for Vendetta and Wanted, this looks at first glance as the fanboy’s movie of choice in early 2009.

This weekend’s big opening of the Batman sequel “The Dark Knight” delivers a lot of hoopla and the requisite anticipation of a summer blockbuster, no doubt fueled all the more by people’s morbid desire to watch Heath Ledger’s final performance, but I can honestly say that I can’t recall when I have been less excited about a comic book themed movie.

Perhaps it’s because even though I thought Batman Begins was a serviceable film, I didn’t think it was the be all-end-all in the Batman film pantheon most fans found it to be.

Though I thought that Christian Bale’s performance was good, In hindsight, I have to admit that I thought his take on the titular character was mostly derivative of the template set forth buy previous film Batmen, most notably Michael Keaton’s performance on the 1989 Tim Burton flick and his reprisal of the role in the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, and even of Kevin Conroy  in some respects.

There’s also something positively unsettling about director Christopher Nolan’s Gotham city, though it’s not the usual unsettling elements associated with it in the comics. Nolan’s Gotham almost has a futuristic, dystoptic feel to it, which makes me feel it’s not quite the place where the Batman of Crime alley grew up in.

The setting aside, it’s almost easy to see why fans embraced the first film with such fervor. The franchise had reached a dead end with the horrific Batman and Robin in 1997, considered by many comic film historians as the worst comic book movie of all time. I can’t say I would disagree, although Elektra was also pretty bad, but when you feed people bread and butter for so long and then give them a hamburger meal, it’s only natural that some would see it as Filet Mignon.

Batman Begins got a lot of things right, The Scarecrow was a lot of fun, but I don’t think it was the best Batman movie that could have been made. Elements like the tank like Batmobile were cribbed from superior material like the excellent 1986 The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel by Frank Miller, cosidered by many to be the best graphic novel of all time and the pacing and dialogue, at times left me wishing for some of the whimsy and fun which Burton infused in some of his best films. These things are supposed to be enjoyable aren’t they? I realize Batman is a dark hero, but he can also be quite human if those qualities are played to with proper care.

So I will see this new Batman movie with a critical eye (though maybe not this weekend) hoping to enjoy it, but I can’t help but feel that I have already invested in the best Batman narratives ever devised and if you haven’t read “The Long Halloween,” “The Dark Knight Returns” or the 1988 masterpiece “The Killing Joke” then you haven’t really experienced the best Joker-Batman dynamics in the rich mythos of the character. Recently Hollywood has messed with at least two great comic based stories: Wanted and I am Legend. Will they also ruin Batman for good or is this series the panacea all the fans proclaim it to be??

I’m getting excited because here we are, on July 14 and the NFL pre-season is a mere month away. The big story this pre season has been Brett Favre’s un retirement. Normally this wouldn’t be such a big deal as Favre has made it a habit the past few seasons of retiring at the end of the season and then changing his mind when he decides he misses the game too much to stay away.

If you have been following this year’s melodrama, Favre is coming off a spectacular season in which he led the Pack to a 13-3 record and to the brink of another Super Bowl berth. I am not a Brett Favre fan, mind you, but you can’t deminish his stats, his accomplishments and the fact he’s a future hall of famer.

Well, now management in Green Bay doesn’t want Brett to come back because he’s old and they are grooming Aaron Rodgers to be his replacement. That makes sense, especailly since they could not wait around for Favre to make up his mind during the off season. However, the Packers are being incredibly selfish and incredibly unrealistic by refusing Favre’s request to release him out of his contract. They certainly could use the money in the salary cap, but management is afraid that Favre could go to a rival team and it would be devastating for them to see Favre take the Bears or the Vikings into the playoffs because they are in the same division.

I say give me a break. On the one hand the Pack say they have moved on and that Brett should do the same, but we’re not talkign about some two bit quarterback, this is Brett Favre we’re talking about, one of the best to play the game, it is unrealistic for them to expect him to come back to the Pack and play backup to Aaron Rodgers. If they really care about the organization and the game they should grant Favre his wish and release him and let him go play wherever he wants. My only caveat is that the stay in the NFC, as a Chargers fan, the last thing I want to see is Favre going to Kansas City or to an AFC West team and having to face him twice a year during the regular season.